Rock Island Today

Russell Christ wants to TAP into the frustration he thinks most Illinoisans must feel.

“It [TAP] stands for trust, accuracy and performance, and I believe we have the right to expect TAP from our politicians,” Christ told the Rock Island Today. 

Christ, 68, is the vice chairman of the Rock Island County GOP. He plans to run in the Republican primary and eventually challenge Democratic incumbent Rock Island County Clerk Karen Kinney in 2018. 

Russell Christ

Christ argues that Democrats have held power in the state for too long.

“I’ve been told they have held the office for the last 60 years,” he said. “In any event, I think it’s time things are looked at from a different perspective. With the party machine that’s now in place, everything is done from a Democratic viewpoint. Everybody that works there knows everyone else, and all their friends are in other county positions.”

Though he has never run for public office before, Christ said he has the ideal background for what he feels the clerk’s office now needs most.

“I worked in customer support and management positions at John Deere for 43 years,” he said. “That’s a lot of what the clerk positions entails: answering questions people might have about elections, the voting process and administrative-type things. I've done all that for what seems like forever.”

In the meantime, Christ says he plans on continuing to do the same things he’s been doing to make his values known to the voters of Rock Island.

“I’ve been going door to door, talking to people and shaking hands and letting them know what I stand for,” he said. “I just want us to do better and truly believe we can do things more effectively from a conservative viewpoint. 

He said he will be tireless in his efforts.

"My God gives me the strength and energy to do everything that I do,” he said. “My energy has not stopped. There are things that I am still not only called but challenged to do.”